Saturday 13 November
Bus to Panajachel and another to Chichicastenango hoping to be there for tomorrows Sunday market but arrived to find a smaller one in full swing with food stalls around the church of St Thomas which was built in 1500-1600. Spanish style but very simple with blackened altar pieces and paintings no longer visible due to many years of candle burning, we observed people setting light to twenty at a time and sprinkling them with rose and marigold petals dipped in water.
We found a pleasant little cafe in the main square for coffee and guacamole and went back later for a meal. Later on a multitude of people in different costumes set up stalls ready for tomorrow. Opposite the cafe was a pick up truck full of trainers with eager customers sorting out sizes and pairs to suit them. Two girls were selling and fitting laces from a pile which diminished as we watched. Opposite they were setting up stalls for Sunday.
Market Day Sunday 14 November
Even more stalls with sellers walking the streets. hand embroidered shawls , cloths and blankets, jewelry, bags, purses, fruit, flowers, food, ice-cream candy floss.
The vegetable market was a riot of colour, tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, chilies, onions, herbs, celery, beetroot, huge radish, turnips, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, cucumber - all so fresh and clean, many types of bean in black, brown, red-brown, yellow, green everything weighed on simple balance scales with no written prices - but Joan guessed the locals know the going rate, acknowledging we didn't have a clue.
We bought a beautifully carved puzzle for Geoff hoping he would like it. We saw Helen the French Canadian we had met in San Marco she has now booked into a Spanish class in Panajachel and came here with Swiss Eveline who like us is traveling overland to Coban, she has already been traveling for seven months
The town is full of tour parties from all over Europe being shown around in large groups. We went into St Thomas again, there was a mass christening of about twenty babies in full swing each being taken to the priest by their father carrying bunches of flowers which had been folded into square coloured clothes by their mothers. I'm afraid that several tourists were ignoring the requests for no photographs and were busily filming and snapping away.
We got more money for our onward journey as the banks are open on Sundays. As the market began to close various sellers were doing well selling cheap underwear, children's clothing, toys, American style caps, various bread rolls and believe it or not bagels and customers were buying by the bag load to take home - perhaps for re-sale.
We found a very slow Internet place with many well used letter keys missing. Nevertheless we picked up several emails from those following our path , learning of Mme Brisson's 80th birthday, Hazel's play and from Martine who had understood some of my Spanish. Joan wonders how Judy's horse riding went. Evidence that I recorded much on the internet presumably in email form as for Mexico proper but never thought to rescue and assemble those records.
Back to the same restaurant for a supper spent with a 'gagle' (Brian's word) of American quilters.
Bus to Panajachel and another to Chichicastenango hoping to be there for tomorrows Sunday market but arrived to find a smaller one in full swing with food stalls around the church of St Thomas which was built in 1500-1600. Spanish style but very simple with blackened altar pieces and paintings no longer visible due to many years of candle burning, we observed people setting light to twenty at a time and sprinkling them with rose and marigold petals dipped in water.
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| CHICHICASTENANGO SUNDAY MARKET |
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| CHICHICASTENANGO STREET |
Even more stalls with sellers walking the streets. hand embroidered shawls , cloths and blankets, jewelry, bags, purses, fruit, flowers, food, ice-cream candy floss.
The vegetable market was a riot of colour, tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, chilies, onions, herbs, celery, beetroot, huge radish, turnips, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, cucumber - all so fresh and clean, many types of bean in black, brown, red-brown, yellow, green everything weighed on simple balance scales with no written prices - but Joan guessed the locals know the going rate, acknowledging we didn't have a clue.
We bought a beautifully carved puzzle for Geoff hoping he would like it. We saw Helen the French Canadian we had met in San Marco she has now booked into a Spanish class in Panajachel and came here with Swiss Eveline who like us is traveling overland to Coban, she has already been traveling for seven months
The town is full of tour parties from all over Europe being shown around in large groups. We went into St Thomas again, there was a mass christening of about twenty babies in full swing each being taken to the priest by their father carrying bunches of flowers which had been folded into square coloured clothes by their mothers. I'm afraid that several tourists were ignoring the requests for no photographs and were busily filming and snapping away.
We found a very slow Internet place with many well used letter keys missing. Nevertheless we picked up several emails from those following our path , learning of Mme Brisson's 80th birthday, Hazel's play and from Martine who had understood some of my Spanish. Joan wonders how Judy's horse riding went. Evidence that I recorded much on the internet presumably in email form as for Mexico proper but never thought to rescue and assemble those records.
Back to the same restaurant for a supper spent with a 'gagle' (Brian's word) of American quilters.
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